


A Little Humanity

by typoqueen



Series: The Godfrey Legacy [1]
Category: Hemlock Grove
Genre: Baby, F/M, Family, Hate, Love, Upyr, Werewolves, vampire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-27
Updated: 2013-08-27
Packaged: 2017-12-24 20:36:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/944383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/typoqueen/pseuds/typoqueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the death of Letha, the Godfrey family must live on in her honour. They must all come to terms with the changes they have faced, and they must also make changes within themselves. Nobody said it would be easy, but they have to try.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Good Morning, Sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for taking the time to come and read this, even if you just skim it briefly!

Olivia rolled over in bed, her long hair spilling out across the pillow behind her. Norman lay sleeping opposite her, his eyes closed, resting peacefully even as the morning sunlight bathed their bedroom in a soft, buttery glow. It was hard for Olivia to admit, but she did love him, despite her issues around attachment and relationships. As an upyr, Olivia spent a large portion of her life disguising who she really was, hiding how she truly felt. It was a barrier that she never really brought down, not for anyone. Until now. She knew she had to let him in very soon, had to open up and be honest.

Since Letha's death, the Godfrey's had been a brokenhearted lot, moping around and acting like the world was ending. Of course, it had hurt Roman more than anything. But out of that pain, he had finally reached his full potential, and Olivia had been able to see him emerge from his cocoon of a mortal existence and blossom into something much more powerful, more beautiful and more… Well, better in every way. He was her beautiful boy- her precious son, and nothing was more important to her. She hated not having Shelley at home with them, but she knew that her daughter would return when the time was right. Olivia's love for her children was something unrivaled by anything.

But now, as the sunflower-golden light warmed the skin of Norman's face, Olivia knew that she loved him as well. Her face was dead-pan, totally straight, and she looked as if she might kick him out of her room at any moment and call him a cab to go home, but she never would. Instead, she slid closer to his sleeping body, laid her head on his pillow and rested her hand on his chest. His heartbeat was slow and steady, a metronome of life, the ebb and flow of blood in his human veins, the clockwork to his system. Perhaps it was his humanity that endeared him to Olivia, the way he was so very normal.

"Norman, darling," she spoke softly but firmly, her voice cutting through the silence that had previously only been graced with the soft sounds of their breath. "Wake up, we need to talk."

The man grumbled slightly in his sleep, but turned onto his side and put his arm around Olivia to pull her in close. He pressed his lips to the top of her head and breathed in the smell of her hair. Even in his half-asleep, dreamy state, he loved her. It wasn't even that she had made him hers by design, but that somehow, deep down, Norman knew that they were meant to be. He didn't know it, but Olivia had lived across many decades and never once found a man she cared about like she did for Norman. As far as her relationships went, Norman was a lucky man to have grasped her heart and held onto it for so long. She didn't give her affections freely- or at all, in most cases- but he had been there for her.

"Norman," Olivia repeated, louder this time. "Wake. Up."

"Unnngh… What time is it, Olivia?" Norman asked her with his eyes still closed. He let his hand trail up and down her back, ever so slowly and softly, fingers trailing unspoken words of love.

"Just after nine."

"Why are we awake?"

"Because I want to talk."

"About what?"

"About us. You and I. And our baby."


	2. Accepting Fate

Olivia had kept it a secret for long enough. She hadn't spoken to anyone about the child growing inside her, feeling that it would be tainted by how recent Letha's death was and that nobody would want to hear the news so soon after losing her. It had been six months since Letha passed away, and Olivia figured she must be about three months into her pregnancy by now. She had concealed the truth about her and Norman's baby for long enough, though, and soon she wouldn't be able to hide the fact when it started to show. So, she had decided to tell him, to finally be honest with him.

Norman didn't know what to say. For a moment, he stared at Olivia, his eyes wide in bewilderment. The woman he loved had just spoken to him, and he couldn't even comprehend her words. Olivia's voice soothed him on most occasions, like a balm for the hurt of his soul. Since his beautiful daughter had passed away, Norman had grown dependent on Olivia for sanctuary, comfort, and most importantly, for love. There was something about her that took away his pain and anguish and replaced it with happy feelings and a sense of safety. It was calm and passionate at the same time, and there was nothing he loved more than holding her in his arms and breathing in the smell of her hair, touching the soft skin of her neck, kissing her perfectly formed lips. He loved her, yes, but what she had just said was now breaking him into a million tiny pieces. He couldn't have another baby.

"Olivia, please tell me…" Norman's voice trailed off; he didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell her that he wouldn't love their child, because he knew he would. Norman just didn't want their baby to replace Letha- it couldn't ever replace her, his precious, beautiful, intelligent daughter. "We're having a baby?" Norman asked, raising his eyebrows slightly, one hand reaching out to touch Olivia's cheek.

"Yes. That's what I said."

"Uh… How long…?"

"It's been three months."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Norman. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I wanted to give you time to mourn before we start preparing to welcome a new life. Everything has changed, and I wanted… I wanted you to know that I do love you. It's hard for me to admit, but it's the truth, so there you go." Olivia spoke quietly, and put her fingers over Norman's hand where it rested on her face, tracing circles on the back of his hand.

The dark haired man didn't say another word, he just put his arms around the woman and pulled her close to him. The morning light which was infiltrating their bedroom was symbolic, he thought, a representation of the new dawn, just as this baby would represent a new page for the Godfreys. It was as if the death of his daughter had brought in change, leading into peace. A new equilibrium for their state of mind, body and soul. If it were anyone but Olivia, he wouldn't have the capacity to love again, but here he was with her in his arms and love in his heart. Kissing the top of Olivia's head, Norman let his hand glide through her long, dark hair. She nestled in close to him, feeling like for once, she didn't have to use her powers on him to get him to believe in her.

Olivia kissed him then, pressing her lips against his gently, firmly, lovingly, but only for a few seconds. She rose from the bed and put on her white dressing robe, disappearing into their en suite bathroom to shower. While she got ready for the day ahead, she thought to herself of all the terrible things she had done, all the lives she'd ended, the blood she'd spilled. It didn't matter any more- she had achieved the one great thing she'd set out to do. Her beautiful boy was a full upyr now. Olivia felt it was high time that she gave herself a rest from the fighting and bloodshed. No more killing, no more werewolves, no more hurting. She and Norman would have their baby, Roman's new brother or sister, and they would be happy. She truly believed that they would. And surely, Shelley would come home then, and everything would be just perfect. They'd be a real happy family, like they'd always wanted.

"Darling," Olivia said as she emerged from their bathroom with her wet hair in a towel. "You are okay with this, aren't you?" she asked Norman, worried that he had had time to think himself out of it. She started to dress herself while he spoke, putting on some white peg trousers and a pretty blouse.

"Yes, Olivia," Norman answered her, reaching out to take her hand. He kissed her knuckles, showing her that he cared. "I've always wanted you to be the mother of my children. It's a new beginning, after all, and isn't that what we need? To heal the wounds? To make everything better?"

In response to his questions, Olivia merely smiled cryptically as she had a habit of doing, and turned to leave the room. She headed down the hall to Roman's bedroom, knocking on the door before opening it just a crack. "Roman, sweetheart, are you awake yet?" she asked in a soft voice.


	3. Truth Hurts

The knock on the door hadn't woken Roman because he was already awake. His big round eyes were staring at the ceiling, counting the marks, the stains, anything he could find so that he didn't have to think any more. He didn't want to think about Letha. Or Peter. Or Shelley. There was an aching in his heart for his cousin, who had been ripped out of his life far too soon-- she hadn't deserved it. It hurt him too much to consider the worst scenarios for where Peter or Shelley had gone off to. At least Peter had his mother, but poor Shelley… She'd been all alone for six months. Roman didn't know if she would ever come home.

For a moment, Roman contemplated ignoring his mother's knock and pulled the covers up over his head. Then he pushed them back down and swung his legs over the side of the bed, standing up in his boxers. Of course, his mother had already begun to open the door, so he strode across the room and pulled it wide open to look at her, glaring, eyes full or rage. He tried to line up the facts in his head: she made him rape Letha, she made him forget, she let Letha die, she let Shelley run away, she had come back to life after he killed her, she had killed his own daughter, and now she was all he wanted. And that scared him. 

"What do you want?" he said to her. The bitterness still wasn't gone from his voice, and he could see the abhorrence in his mother's expression at his tone of voice. He hadn't quite forgiven her for what she had done to him and Letha, but he couldn't stop loving his mother. He needed her, depended on her. And he knew that she loved him as well-- she just had a funny ay of showing it, that was all. Roman softened his expression, and moved aside so that Olivia could come into his room.

The woman walked in, her neatly pressed white trousers making a satisfying sound as the legs brushed against each other. Olivia put a hand on Roman's cheek, smiling at him with what was probably the most genuine smile she'd given him since Letha's baby was born. "My beautiful boy," she said. "I've got something I need to tell you. And it might come as a bit of a surprise, but you really ought to hear it sooner rather than later." Olivia motioned for Roman to go and sit down, which he did, perching himself on the end of his bed while Olivia herself moved to the wooden chair by the window.

"Now I won't sugar coat it, because I know you don't like that. Norman and I are having a baby." What Olivia failed to mention was that they were having another baby, because in reality, Roman was theirs as well. "And you can hate me all you want, because I know it's hard everything you've been through, but it's happening. We didn't plan it, but we're going to make it work, okay?" she said, her tone gentle, so as not to offend him.

"Are you serious?" Roman asked. It was the only response he could think of. "You are so--" he cut himself off, not able to insult his mother, even after all she'd done. It annoyed him how much he loved her still. "I can't believe you. What about Shelley!?"

"Shelley will come home. I know it," Olivia replied. "She will come back when she's ready." The woman didn't want to mention Peter, although she knew that Roman wanted him home as much as he wanted Shelley back as well. 

Tucking some of her dark hair behind her ear, she moved forward and put her arms around Roman. It had been a tough six months for him, she knew that. He rested his head on her shoulder, and Olivia stroked his hair. Roman didn't make a sound but she knew he was close to tears. Everything was too much for him right now; he could barely cope with who he was, a full upyr. His mother had done her best to teach him the ways and get him accustomed to his new lifestyle, and that was why he relied on her so much. Most days he was drained and tired, but once she'd helped him on his way, his upyr strength had built up in leaps and bounds, and he was almost as strong as her now. Olivia was so proud of him, and she hoped he could see it.

"But after everything you did! After everything! And Letha! And Peter and Shelley! They're all gone, and I'm alone, and it's your fault! You're poison, you're evil! Everything bad in this world, it's all you. You kill and burn and destroy, and you expect everyone to run around like your little pawns and just do what you want them to do. But you're tainted." Roman was still holding her close, still resting his head on her. He couldn't bear to let her go, and he couldn't bear to stay near her. Even with all the hate in the world, Roman would always love his mother.

"It's alright, darling," Olivia whispered, pressing her lips to the top of his head. "It will all be perfectly okay in the end. You'll see. Now, get dressed and we can all have a nice lunch together, hm?" 


End file.
